Surgical instrument for intradermal injection of fluids



March 11, 1952 F. ELlscU l-:TAL 2,588,623

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR INTRADERMAL INJECTION OF' FLUIDS Filed May l0, 1948 4 jo 48 A6 5045 jig; T3', Q2u/WW A TTORNE Y Patented Mar. l1, 1952 SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR INTRA- DERMAL INJECTION OF FLUIDS Frank Eliscu, Ossnng, .and Morris Kassel,

New York, N. Y.

Application May 1o, 194s, serial No. 26,088

l 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a surgical instrument for the intradermal injection of pigments, medicaments or other materials.

-The principal object of this invention is the provision of a surgical instrument of the character described which provides controlled means for applying pigments or chemical preparations intradermally for the treatment of skin discoloration in birthmarks, burns, frost-bite, skin grafts and blemishes caused by disease or otherwise.

Intradermal injecting means have heretofore been devised but they have been admittedly unsatisfactory for many reasons, some of which are that they are not susceptible of adequate control, especially as to the depth of application, speed of application, and force of application. The present device is provided with means which afford a positive control as to the depth of application, the speed of application, and safety, this control, upon adjustment, being applied automatically and without conscious effort on the part of the surgeon.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a surgical device of the character described which includes a reservoir for the pigment which it employs, thereby enabling the surgeon to perform an uninterrupted operation without having to replenish the pigment supply of the instrument. In corresponding instruments now in use, a reservoir is not provided and it is, therefore, necessary for the surgeon repeatedly to dip his instrument into a container of pigment, during the entire course of the operation. This prolongs the operation unduly with consequent disadvantages both to the surgeon and to the patient.

This invention has heretofore been described as relating to the intradermal application of pigments. It will be appreciated that' although the invention has particular reference to the surgical treatment of skin discolorations of human beings, it may also be used Afor the purpose of producing intradermal markings on animals for identification and other purposes. It may also be employed for marking animal furs, skins and other materials Which are wholly inanimate, and

(Cl. 12S-253) it will be understood that the type of material beings, the device herein claimed is not limited'` to the use ofv pigments or-similar chemicalprepa-Q rations, and it is not limited to the surgical treatment of skin discolorations.

medicinal preparations are vindicated.

The instrument herein claimed is. also Very usefulV for injecting anv anesthetic that requires..

esthetics which require Wide dispersion morder to be effective.

It is aifurther object trations of the many uses of which the present device is susceptible.

A- preferred embodiment of this invention shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 .is a side elevationshowing the devicein process of beingused for the intradermal injec-' j tion of pigments and other chemical preparations.'`

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side .,vievvthereof. Fig. 3 is abottom view of'said device.

Fig. 4 is a -view similar to ihatof Fig; 3, show?" ing the casing of the device partly broken avvavv and in section on the line 4 4 of Fig.2,.to reveal the voperative parts of the device.`

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, .detailed section of the injection of the needles of `said device. Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detailed section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 'l is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5. The surgical instrument herein claimed com-'rv prises a barrel or handle l0 which is adaptedto beheld in' the hand 9, a drive-shaftV Il which is mounted for reciprocating movement in said barrel, a pluralityof needles l2 connected to said.' shaft, a sheath .I3 for said needles, a reservoir l It may be used in. intradermal injectiontreatments in local irrita'-. tion andinammation cases as well as in otherf. skin conditions Where intradermal injections 'of to provide an instrument.. as herein described, which is safe to operate in'f the presence of ether or other highlyjvolatile or. inammable substance, since it operates Withg. out danger of sparking such aswouldbe caused, if magnetic devices were used in its construction,...

Although the specification will deal with the present invention solely in terms of its usefulness in lconnection with the intradermal treatment ofskin discolorations, it VWill be appreciated that it'. is equally useful in many other respects, refer-' ence being made to the above remarks for illusshow-i" ing the adjusting means Which controls the depth.v

which supplies pigment to the needles in their said sheath I3 and a valve I5 which controls the ow of pigment from said reservoir to said needles. The instrument also includes an adjusting member I6 for adjusting the position or the sheath relative to the operative ends of the needles, and a flexible shaft I'I which is connected to a motor (not shown) and. which is connected by means of a gear and crank mechanism I8 to the reciprocally mounted drive-shaft I I.

The barrel or casing I is a hollow member which accommodates the gear and crank mechanism I 8, that end of flexible shaft I'I which is connected to said mechanism, and the driveshaft Il which is also connected to said mechanism. It is externally threaded as at Ib at its forward or operative end to accommodate' the adjusting member I6 which is internally threaded, as Well as a locking nut 20. I3 is also mounted on the forward end of barrel IU but there is no direct screw thread connection between said sheath and' said barrel. Instead, adjusting member I6 is enlarged somewhat at its forward end to accommodate the back end of said sheath member. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the larger forward end of adjusting member I6 is internally threaded, and the back end of sheath I3 which extendsinto said forward end of adjusting member I6- has an external thread I3a. Hence, there is a screw thread relationship between adjusting member I8 on the one hand and sheath I3 on the other hand, and betweenv said adjusting member I5" on the one hand and barrel IU on the other. One of these screw thread relationships is lefthanded and the other right-handed. Hence, when adjusting member I6 is manually rotated on barrel I0 and said barrel and said' sheath are prevented from rotating, relativey longitudinal movement between said sheath and said barrel will result. The direction of rotation of said adjusting member I6 relative to barrel IU will determine the direction of longitudinal movement of said sheath relative to said barrel; To prevent angularmovement of said sheathrelative to said barrel when the adjusting member is actuated, a pin 22 is provided in said sheath and a cooperating slot 23 is provided in said barrel, longitudinally thereof'. The sheath is thus free to move longitudinally of the barrel butv it is prevented from rotating thereon. When a proper adjustment hasv been'attained, locking` nut is tightened against adjustingl memberV I6 to prevent accidental angular movement of said adjusting member, in either direction.

The crank and gear mechanism I8 above mentioned comprises a gear wheel 25 connected to the end of flexible shaft I1, a second gear wheel 2,'6, which meshes therewith, a crank 21 .connected to said gear wheel 26 and a connecting rod 28 which connects said crank to drive-v shaft II. It will be clear from Fig. 4 that when ilexible shaft l1 is caused to engage in rotary movement, its gear wheel 25 will impart rotary movement to gear wheel 26, whose axis intersects the axis of gear wheel 25 at right angles thereto, and such rotary movement of gear wheel 26 will work crankl 21 and cause rod II to engage in reciprocating movement.

Connecting rod 28V is pivotally connected to drive-shaft or rod II at one end thereof. At its opposite end, drive-shaft or rod II is provided with a screw-threaded collet or chuck 32. This chuck serves as a holder for a sup- Sheath` porting bar 33 to which needles I2 are attached. In the preferred form of this invention, see Fig. 6, a single bank or tier of five needles is used. Bar 33 serves to support said needles and to hold them in line. A greater or a lesser number of needles may be used in the device herein claimed and they may be arranged in a singleA bank or in a plurality of banks, or they may be arranged in other Ways as well.

It should be noted that in the preferred form of this invention, the several needles I2 are arranged in parallel lines, each needle being contiguous with at least one other needle. Arranging the needles in the manner shown in Fig. 6 has its advantages. Channels are formed between adjacent needles which provide a capillary action substantially similar to the capillary acton which takes place in conventional capillary tubes. The flow of pigment along said needles to their respective operative points is thereby facilitated and a uniform, unbroken flow is thereby provided.

The shape of sheath I3 and especially its opening `35 through which needles I2 project is determined primarily by the number of needles used and by their arrangement. It will be noted that when a single bank of ve needles is incorporated into the device herein claimed, opening 35 in sheath I3 is a rather wide but shallow opening. It provides just enough room to accommodate needles I2 and to enable them to engage in reciprocating movement therethrough with little or no frictional interference.

The sheath performs several functions. It serves as a container for the pigment which is applied to needles I2; it serves as a support for the'reservoir which constitutes the source of supply of said pigment and it also serves as a stop gauge for controlling the depth of penetration of said needles I2 into the skin 8.

It will be noted that at its opening 35, sheath I3 extends farther outwardly along one side of the needles than along the other side. It is the longer end or portion of the sheath that serves as a stop gauge in abutment with the skin. The adjusting member I6 heretofore mentioned is adapted to project or extend the sheath beyond its extended position which it is shown to occupy in the drawing or to retract it from that position. It is thereby possible to expose a greater or lesser length of needles I2, thereby providing for a greater or lesser depth of penetration of said needles into the skin. The shorter portion of sheath I3 exposes a greater length of needles I2 than does' the longer portion. The shorter portion thereby provides a window through which the ends ofA the needles may be seen at all times during the course of the surgical operation or treatment in which they are used.

Reservoir I4 is supported by a bracket 40 which is aixed by means of screws 4I to sheath I3. The reservoir is mounted in such position on the sheath as to prevent it from obstructing the line of vision from the surgeon to the skin area. Reservoir I4 is simply a container adapted to hold a goodly supply of pigment or other chemical preparation and to supply it by gravity feed to needles I2. It is provided with a tapered hub I4a for removable though snug frictional engagement with tapered opening 42 through the' wall of 'sheath I3, the spring arms 43 of bracket 40 also serving to removably retain the reservoir I4 in place. Obviously, this is only one of many ways -to removably secure the reservoir to theV sheath and is merely shown for illustration..

Reservoir I4 has a threadedopening 44' and an outlet opening 45, and a closure or valve-member 46 being provided for the outlet opening. Outlet 45 communicates with the inside of sheath I3 and adjacent needles I2, and it is through this outlet opening that the pigment passes from the reservoir to the sheath and hence to the needles in said sheath.

It will be observed in Fig. 6 that valve member 46 has a pointed inner end 41 and a screwthreaded outer end 48 to cooperate with threaded opening 44. A thumb piece 49 is mounted on the outer threaded end of said valve member to enable the operator to conveniently actuate said valve member in an obvious manner.

` Pigment or other chemical preparation may be entered into the reservoir I4 through its onen top. If desired, a cover may be provided to close this top.

It will be seen that an annular seat 5l) is p-rovided in outlet opening 45 and that said seat is adapted to cooperate as a valve seat with the pointed end of valve member 46 to control the flow of fluid through said outlet opening, from the reservoir to the sheath, and it may be used to close said outlet opening completely or to open it to any extent desired.

It will be remembered that the foregoing is descriptive of a preferred embodiment only of this invention. It will be understood, therefore,

that modifications may be incorporated therein within the broad scope and principles of the invention. The modications will be determined primarily by the type of work for which the device herein claimed may be designed.- For example, the viscosity of the liquid Used in the device may determine the number of the needles with which it is to be supplied, as well as their arrangement and spacing. The needles may be perfectly circular in cross-section, either solid ortubular. or they may be provided with longitudinally extending flutes or grooves to provide for a better, easier ow of the liquid. The number of needles used and also the arrangement may be determined, too, by the specific use to which the instrument is to be put. For example, a single bank of iive or seven needles performs very satisfactorily 'when the instrument is used to treat skin discolorations. It may well be that a greater number of needles. arranged in several banks, will be more suited for the intradermal iniection of local anesthetics which require a wide dispersion for complete effectiveness. However, whatever shape of needle is chosen or whatever arrangement among the several needles is chosen, one central object should, if at all possible, be kept in mind. The shape of the needles and their positions relative to each other should make for capillary action to facilita-te the ow of liquid last mentioned.

The sheath should be understood, as has above been indicated, to constitute a device which has a two-fold function. It serves as a stop gauge for limiting the depth of penetration of the" needles, and it also serves as a container for the liquid with which the needles are to be supplied.:` Other variations will become apparent to thosel skilled in the art and they may .be introduced` needle is not critical and types other than that It should also be understood that the parts vmayl be readily disassembled for cleaning and sterilization and as readily reassembled.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:l

l. A surgical instrument of the character described,said instrument comprising a handle, a

plurality of reciprocating needles in said handle, a sheath mounted on said handle and enclosing and completely housing said needles when retracted, said sheath having an opening through which the pointed ends of the needles may be projected and a pigment container mounted on said sheath land communicating with the interiorv thereof, whereby the pigment contents of thev container are supplied directly to the reciprocat ing needles, said sheath being adjustably mounted on the handle for movement relative to the needles, whereby the extent of exposure of said needles may be varied. l

2. A surgical instrument of the character described, comp-rising a handle, a plurality of needles mounted in said handle for reciprocating movement relative thereto, a crank in said handle connected to said needles for causing reciprocating movement thereof, an adjustably mounted sheath on said handle covering the sides ofthe said needles and leaving their pointed ends 'eX- posed, said sheath being longitudinally movable relative to said needles to vary the extent of exposure of their pointed ends, and a uid container mounted on said sheath and communicating with the interior thereof, whereby a ilow` of uid from the container to the needles is provided.

3. A surgical instrument of the character described, comprisingl a handle, a plurality of needles mounted for reciprocating movement in said handle, a crank in said handle -connected to said needles and causing recipro-cation thereof longitudinally of said needles and of said handle, a sheath for said needles mounted on said handle for longitudinal movement relative to the needles and to the handle, a screw adjustment member on said handle and connected to said sheath for adjusting the position of said sheath on said handle, an opening formed at the end of the sheath through which the pointed ends of the needles are positioned to project, the position of the sheath on the handle determining the extent of projection of said needle ends through said sheath opening, and a container for iluid material mounted on said sheath and communicating with the inside thereof, said container having a valve member controlling the ow of uid from said container to the inside of said sheath.

4. A surgical instrument of the character described comprising a handle, a needle holder in said handle, a plurality of needles mounted in said holder for reciprocating movement relative to the handle, a crank mechanism in said handle connected to said needle holder, for causing reciprocating movement thereof, a sheath for said needles mounted on said handle, an opening in the end of the sheath through which the pointed ends of the needles are positioned to project, said sheath being movable longitudinally of said handle and of said needles to vary the extent of exposure of said needle ends, a locking member on said handle, said locking member being connected to the sheath for locking said sheath in any selected position on said handle, a container for pigment mounted on said sheath, an outlet opening formed in said container, and being in communication with the inside of the sheath, and an adjustable valve member to control the flo'w of uid through the outlet opening to any desired extent to provide for a controlled 110W of said pigment from said container to the inside of said sheath.

5. A surgical instrument of the character described, comprising a handle, a plurality of needles mounted in said handle for reciprocating movement relative thereto, means for causing reciprocating movement of said needles, an adjustably mounted sheath on said handle covering the sides of the said needles and leaving their pointed ends exposed, said sheath being longitudinally movable relative to said needles to vary the extent of exposure of their pointed ends, and a iluid -container mounted on said sheath and communicating with the interior thereof, whereby a flow of fluid from the container to the needles is provided.

6. A. surgical instrument of the character described, comprising a handle, a plurality of needles mounted for reciprocating movement in said handle, means for causing reciprocation of said needles longitudinally ofy said handle, a sheath for said needles mounted on said handle for longitudinal movement relative to the needles and to the handle, a screw adjustment member on said handle and connected to said sheath for adjusting the position of said sheath on said handle, an opening formed at the end of the sheath through which the pointed ends of the needles are positioned to project, the position of the sheath on the handle determining the extent of projection of said needle ends through said sheath opening, and a container for uid material mounted on said sheath and communicating with the inside thereof, said container having a valve member controlling the ow of fluid from said container to the inside of said sheath.

7. A surgical instrument of the character de scribed comprising a handle, a needle holder in said handle, a plurality of needles mount/ed in said holder for reciprocating movement relative to the handle, means for causing reciprocating movement of said needles, a sheath for said needles mounted on said handle, an opening in the end of the sheath through which the pointed ends of the needles are positioned to project, said sheath being movable longitudinally of said handle and of said needles to vary the extent of exposure of said needle ends, a locking member on said handle, said locking member being connected to the sheath for locking said sheath in any selected position on said handle. a container for pigment mounted on said sheath, an outlet opening formed in said container, and being in communication with the inside of the sheath, and an adjustable valve member to control the flow of uid through the outlet opening to any desired extent to provide for a controlled flow of said pigment from said container to the inside 0f said sheath.

FRANK ELISCU. MORRIS B KASSEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 28,697 Stauch June 12, 1860 208,905 Griest Oct. 15, 1878 464,801 OReilly Dec. 8, 1891 920,013 Bradbury Apr. 27, 1909 1,549,565 Stadler Aug. 11, 1925 1,767,469 Metzner June 24, 1930 2,140,409 Sterling Dec. 19, 1938 2,345,070 Powell Mar. 28, 1944 

